Sexual abuser receives sentence

Photo by Emily BakerJames Privett is led into the Knox County Courthouse for a pretrial conference in September 2015.

After two years, a Bryant’s Store man received his sentence Monday, Jan. 4.

James Privett, 49, was arrested in February 2014 for incidents occurring in November 2013. Privett was charged with three counts of first degree sodomy, three counts of first degree sexual abuse, three counts of incest and distribution of obscene material to minors after, according to the arrest warrant, engaged in deviate sexual intercourse with an eight-year-old boy.

The trial ended when Privett pled guilty to one of the ten charges against him, first degree sexual abuse. The charge was amended from first degree sexual abuse of a victim under the age of 12.

Circuit Court Judge Thomas Jensen accepted the Commonwealth’s offer, giving Privett two years to serve and dismissed the remaining nine counts. Privett will receive credit for his time already served awaiting his trail.

Privett was transported to Clay County Detention Center on Tuesday, where he will remain until his release.